


Unfair

by life_not_knife



Category: EXO (Band), SHINee
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-15
Updated: 2017-04-30
Packaged: 2018-05-20 20:32:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6023638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/life_not_knife/pseuds/life_not_knife
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>‘Taemin didn’t mean any harm by it. He didn’t mean for one simple wondering to turn into a routine. He didn’t mean for that routine to then evolve into a fascination, but it did.’</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I’m not going to say much in this note except for “Hi there, long time no Taekai!” I am posting this the same day Taemin’s new comeback announcement came out so… this is quite fitting I guess. Anyway, enjoy.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
The road is dark and gloomy but the ever present humidity is still clinging in the air. Bright white and midnight blue hi-tops scuffle along the dank, grey pavement. The feet come to a halt, for just a second, until they change direction. The shoes begin to float seamlessly over the inky black oil slick of the road. The iridescent circle of the moon shimmers on the damp surface and moves along with the tanned legs.  The pace is slow, strong calves seemingly taking a rest for the evening as the damp and warm air brushes lightly against the wispy hairs. Thin white shorts flutter in the soft breeze once the figure reaches the middle of the road; now and again they cling to the front of honeyed thighs.  
  
The feet finally reach the other side of the road, the moon’s reflection lost against the now grey pavement. A cobalt t-shirt peeks over the high waistband of the shorts, addressing the night in the same, usual, billowy fashion. The sleeves are cropped and the neck is round, just as it always is. There is nothing special about this moment and the figure is following his usual routine, so why does the man across the street keep watching him?  
  
Our cobalt protagonist is unaware of course, as he is every evening when he walks the short distance from his dance class to his home. He walks, blissfully oblivious of the eyes upon his form. The stranger watches the broad shoulders as they shift fluidly beneath a floundering t-shirt, adjusting the strap of his leather bag with a stiffness in his neck that isn’t usually present. It worries him, has the man been working too hard tonight? The dancer turns the corner, still unaware of the gaze that lingers upon his sharp jawline. A jawline that screams masculinity and strength. It stands in clear contrast against a pair of soft, plump, pillowy lips and kind, almond shaped eyes which take on a brief look of pain as he once again adjusts the strap that presses against his firm and toned chest. He is almost home now, and the stranger watches with a pout of his lips as he sees high cheekbones and a perfectly moulded nose drop towards the floor; a nimble and slender hand routes around for his door keys. The dancer’s off-pink hair falls gracefully across his face, shadowing his perfect features for just a second before the man snaps his head back up, finding his keys and opening the door. The stranger feels a familiar but worrying urge to push across the threshold just to see more. Eventually, the high glossed, black door closes with a firm bang and a soft jingle. The stranger’s delicate features morph into a disappointed smile before turning away from his apartment window and returning to his computer screen.  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
Taemin didn’t mean any harm by it. He didn’t mean for one simple wondering to turn into a routine. He didn’t mean for that routine to then evolve into a fascination, but it did.  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
Lithe pale fingers tap tap tap against the monotony of the room. The light clicking of the keys travels across the empty space around him. The same keys that are illuminated by the LED backlight of his grey laptop but still highlighted in the moonlight that streams in from the window.  
  
The figure stops, stills in his motions and turns his head to look at the white orb that shines brightly against the twilight canvas, as if only now realising its presence for the evening. Warm puffs of breath fog up the window, it’s close, the cool press of glass almost touching his nose and he can see out into the still night of his neighbourhood street. He reaches with those same alabaster fingers, the ones that rival the moon with their complexion as he slowly turns the brass knob, bony elbows bending and a small puff of air leaving cherry red lips as the window is heaved up, pushed to allow the still humid air to enter the stagnant and stuffy room.  
  
It might be dark outside but the promise of the summer still lingers and travels on the gentle warm breeze that now invites a small row of goose bumps to rise on the ivory skin. The gentle blow caresses his upper arms, the sweat that was once warm and clammy being cooled rapidly, causing a shiver to erupt down the man’s spine. Taemin lightly brushes back his unruly blonde locks, settling his glasses once again on the perch of his nose as he resumes the ever present click, clack of his keyboard. The sounds in the room are now varied. Alongside the snap of keys are the occasional sounds of a car horn and tyres pressing on asphalt. Every so often Taemin will hear an engine starting or the sound of a front door closing with a bang and a jingle. Though the hour is late and midnight is almost upon them, the city beyond Taemin’s small town can still be heard buzzing and alive in the distance. He continues to write, stopping only to take a sip of his coffee that is now lukewarm at best. The clock continues to tick and he bounces his leg to the rhythm of the tock.  
  
It is some time later, when he is on a roll and his main character is exploring the fictional world before her that he hears it. A deep and timbre voice is close, very close. His fingers suddenly stop, his breathing following suit and he turns his head towards the too-close window once again. His eyes roam the black denim jeans and rumpled white shirt for a split second before they land upon tanned skin and dirty pink hair.  
  
The caramel beauty is talking loudly, words a little slurred but not enough to deem him entirely drunk. He speaks with a level head despite the odd vowel being dropped. His voice is deep and rough and it reminds Taemin of the waves crashing against rocks only to smooth out before they hit again. Stupid - he knows, after all it is just a voice, still he can’t help his mind from conjuring such an image.  
  
“I’ve told you before Soo, no!” The boy’s voice is firmer now, the words traveling from where he has suddenly stopped – only a few metres from Taemin’s window. He scuffs his tell-tale midnight blue hi-tops against the gravel on the driveway that belongs to Taemin (a driveway he never uses because he doesn’t own a car) and the scraping sound for some reason isn’t irritating like it should be.  
  
“I’ve had enough. I waited two fucking hours for you and you didn’t show…again!” The man spits, his curse word cutting through the air so deep that Taemin marvels at the softness of the boy’s lips in contrast to the sharp and pronounced word they produce.  
  
Taemin jumps then, the sound of plastic hitting the tarmac and sliding into the main road. The gentle and elegant boy has just smashed his phone in anger, his eyes furious from this angle and face scrunched in frustration. Taemin still watches, quietly and eagerly until he witnesses all the boy’s anger and tension ease from his face and slowly out of every muscle in his body as his legs give way and he slumps heavily on the edge of the driveway.  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
The sound of a blue door jingles lightly and gentle, slipper covered feet step softly onto the doorstep. A hand moves from the door handle as he closes it quietly and reaches upwards to brush a finger softly against the delicate skin on the bridge of his nose. Brass coloured glasses are pushed up into place and the figure finally stills for a second. He observes the now hunched figure sitting on the gravel, white crumpled shirt billowing out from the waistband of the jeans and trailing lightly against the black, dirty ground.  
  
Taemin takes in a deep breath as he approaches the boy on the floor. He makes sure to shuffle his feet quietly at first and drag them louder as he moves closer.  
A strand of dusky pink hair blows in the wind and then twists sharply as a strong jawline comes into Taemin’s view. The boy has finally noticed his presence. There is a light rustle and scrape as the tanned male attempts to move and stand on his feet but light and nimble fingers curl gently into his sturdy shoulder; a reassurance that not moving is perfectly fine.  
  
“Are you okay?” A gentle voice asks, the tone is light and airy with just a hint of a quiver which gives away his nervousness. He moves to sit beside the figure.  
The man stares at the floor between his bended knees and nods his head silently in answer.  
  
“Uhm…I didn’t mean to eavesdrop or watch you or anything. I just happened to be working next to my window and it was open. So…I heard your conversation and yeah – I  
thought you might need someone to talk to?” Taemin speaks in a whispered blubber. His head jumbles as he tries to piece together his words, nouns blending unceremoniously with adjectives. Verbs avoiding him and his tongue chasing them until it manages to tie itself into a knot. Still, the delivery seems to come out comprehendible and Taemin is grateful for that.  
  
The silence stretches between them. Taemin feeling anxious and the boy beside him seems calm, almost defeated in the way he doesn’t move a muscle.  
“Or…I can leave you alone, that’s fine too. Feel free to stay as long as you like… it’s not like I have a car anyway. I mean I can drive but I don’t own a car. People think that’s weird but I don’t really need one since I work from home and all and the bus stop is right there and – ” Taemin’s mouth seems to be running, almost sprinting at its own pace now. His arm gestures are bigger as he waves towards the bus stop and his eyes take in the familiar bus numbers X84, 255, A59. His voice dies in his throat as his head moves back towards the hunched figure and he notices a pair of caramel orbs looking in his direction. Soft pink lips are lifted lightly into a half smile and only then does Taemin realise he has been rambling on at a handsome stranger. He has been telling him about possibly the most mundane part of his life and now those handsome features were watching him in amusement.  
  
“Actually…” the first word falls from plush lips. The timbre vibrations travel through the air and much like the breeze from earlier, cause goose bumps to arise on Taemin’s skin  
“… someone to talk with sounds kind of nice right now.” The male pauses, a sweet smile once again gracing those velvety lips. Taemin offers back his best smile but he is sure that nobody can smile even half as beautifully as the man before him.  
  
“I’m Jongin, nice to meet you.” The man speaks and offers his hand.  
  
“T-Taemin, nice to meet you too.” Taemin stutters and extends his digits for them to softly frame Jongin’s firm hand. (Jongin….Jongin, he likes the way those syllables sit on his tongue).  
  
“Thanks” Jongin suddenly pipes up, his knees twisting a little in Taemin’s direction.  
  
“For what???” The man asks, pushing his glasses up once more on the bridge of his nose with a puzzled expression.  
  
“For…letting me borrow your driveway.” Jongin chuckles and the sound is baritone but boyish. Taemin decides instantly that he loves the handsome man’s strange and deep laugh.  
  
“Well, you’re welcome…anytime.” Taemin laughs back a little, not able to fully let go because now he has himself paranoid of what his laugh sounds like and whether or not Jongin would find it weird.  
  
“Well, this has been lovely but I really should go…it is way past three am…” Jongin announces lightly.  
  
“L-let me walk you to your door…it’s the least I can do for eavesdropping on you and everything.” Taemin explains but scratches the back of his neck awkwardly.  
  
“It’s okay really I only live –” Jongin is cut off by the other male’s voice.  
  
“Over there, I know. Still…I would feel better knowing I at least accompanied you home.” Taemin explains.  
  
A pregnant pause fills the lightly humid air before Jongin punctuates it with a “sure.”  
  
“So…you heard my whole conversation then?” Jongin asks awkwardly.  
  
“Well…I heard you complaining about waiting for two hours and you swearing at someone.” Taemin explains with as little detail as possible.  
  
“Oh sorry about that.” Jongin says sheepishly.  
  
“It’s alright, you were angry. It just shocked me to hear you swear is all.” The older male surmises.  
  
“What? Shocked that a pretty face like this could come out with something as crude as that?” Jongin smiles smugly, his index finger drawing an invisible circle around his face.  
  
“O-oh! No I didn’t mean…I meant that…” Taemin stumbles over consonants and drowns in his vowels, his face feeling warmer and warmer as the crimson blush takes over his cheeks and spreads down to his lower neck.  
  
“I’m just kidding Taemin-ssi it’s fine.” Jongin chuckles. “By the way, how old are you?” The caramel eyed male asks with curiosity shining in the depths of his features.  
  
“I’m 24, you?” Taemin answers.  
  
“I’m 22. I guess I should call you hyung then.” Jongin says with amusement and Taemin chuckles lightly because deep down, he loves the sound of Jongin’s sweet lips calling him hyung. The deep and dulcet tones creating a throbbing vibration on the middle sound as it drags out slightly in just the right way.  
  
“Well, I guess we’re here hyung. Thanks for walking me home.” Jongin speaks.  
  
“N-no problem. I guess…uhm…goodnight?” Taemin asks, unsure of how to end such a strange encounter.  
  
“Well, technically it’s morning but in my book if the sun isn’t up, it’s not morning! Better yet, if I’m not up, it’s not morning.” Jongin for the millionth time tonight laughs whole heartedly. “Thanks for cheering me up hyung, I really needed it.” He smiles sincerely and the last remnants of Taemin’s heart melt into a puddle of scarlet.  
  
“No worries, anytime.” He smiles sincerely, trying not to let the glow rising in his chest burst forth onto his facial features. “Goodnight Jongin, sleep well.” Taemin speaks and offers a small wave before turning around to leave.  
  
“Wait hyung!” Jongin calls before Taemin can take his second step away.  
  
“Yeah?” The man asks worriedly.  
  
“How…how did you know where I lived?” The younger male asks, his face looking content and just curious.  
  
“Well…I work on my computer which happens to be right next to the window. I work late at night and sleep and do other things during the day. I happened to see you one  
evening returning from … somewhere and I guess you caught my attention since you would show up like clockwork. I wondered if you lived around here because I only ever saw you at night and so naturally I watched and noticed that you lived here. I didn’t follow you or anything. I’m sorry I should have minded my own business.” Taemin begins calmly and slowly winds up to an apologising mess. He takes a moment to breathe before continuing his apology.  
He doesn’t get chance however as Jongin speaks up again.  
  
“It’s fine hyung. I just wondered is all. Goodnight and good luck with your work.” Jongin says with a smile and all of the anxiousness and panic that was held in every muscle of  
  
Taemin’s body simply rises up and floats away with those simple words.  
  
“Goodnight.” Taemin speaks back before turning once again on his heel and heading back the few doors to his own house.  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
The sun glints brightly against the round brass frame of the glasses which sit perched on a mahogany table beside the bed. Bright white sheets cascade down onto the floor, the sun making it unbearable to have them adding extra heat. Taemin shifts in his bed, and rolls over away from the sun with a grunt. He cracks open his bleary eyes to take in the time. 11:30am blinks back at him in red digital letters. As he pushes himself up on his elbows he feels his body protest. After returning home last night he had laid awake in bed, staring at the celling and thinking about Jongin for a good few hours until his mind finally drifted into sleep.  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
As he cooks bacon and eggs for breakfast, his mind wonders whether Jongin is awake or if the boy is still sleeping soundly to the rest of the world.  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
He leaves the house, blue door closing lightly as he makes his way to the bus stop, his eyes seem to be glued to the black glossy door at the end of the street. His gaze scans the top level windows and he finds himself wondering which room belongs to Jongin. In an attempt to distract himself, he plugs in his earphones and concentrates on checking his emails. He is responding to an email from his editor when the bus finally arrives. He beeps his card, eyes still on his phone and doesn’t realise when he bumps into another man’s shoulder who was trying to alight.  
  
“Oh, I’m sorry” Taemin mumbles apologetically, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.  
The stranger with wide brown eyes mumbles back,  
  
“That’s alright” before he hastily steps from the bus, not wanting to miss his stop.  
Once again, Taemin’s mind wanders to Jongin in that split second and he wonders why. He needs to stop thinking about the boy and so he distracts himself with going over his shopping list and errands for the day as he takes a seat at the back of the bus. He watches the wide eyed stranger walking along the pavement and then his eyes glue to Jongin’s front door before the bus turns the corner and moves out of sight.  
  
“I really need to stop.” Taemin thinks again as he continues looking out of the window.  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
The hour is once again late and Taemin is typing furiously on his keyboard. He has some soft music playing tonight, trying to lighten the mood for this particular scene in his story. It was becoming a little too dark as of late and his editor suggested some soft and uplifting music whilst writing. The window is cracked open because the weather tonight is unbearably stuffy, not warm and breezy like the night prior. His character is just about to profess her love to a man twice her age when he hears a soft knock right next to his left ear.  
  
He spins his head around in fright until he sees deep hazel eyes looking back at him. They are framed by light pink bangs and a strong jawline. Jongin is chuckling and Taemin can hear it through the glass, slipping in through the small gap in his window.  
  
“J-jongin?” Taemin wonders aloud and this makes the younger man laugh loudly.  
  
“Hyung! Are you coming outside?” He asks with a tilt of his head that resembles a puppy.  
  
“U-uh….yeah, one second.” Taemin replies and proceeds to save his work as he watches Jongin move to the drive way and sit down on the gravel.  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
“What are you doing here? It’s a little early isn’t it?” Taemin realises as he glances at his watch which tells him it is only 10.30pm.  
  
“Well, I finished dance practice early today.” Jongin answers and Taemin only then realises that the younger male is wearing his trademark hi-tops, soft sweatpants and a black tank top. His eyes feast on the muscled arms that are exposed to the humidity and he notes the strong shoulders that seem stiff and tense. “Oh, it’s warm today so, I thought something comfortable would be best. The clothes you saw me in yesterday weren’t really my usual attire.” Jongin explains as he notices Taemin’s eyes on his appearance.  
  
“I know…I mean…uh…why were you dressed differently yesterday?” Taemin stutters, once again flailing around as he realises he sounds like a stalker.  
  
“Oh right, yeah. I forgot I walk by your window practically every day.” Jongin chuckles and Taemin relaxes “I was meeting a friend yesterday at an expensive restaurant, so I had to dress up.” Jongin announces.  
  
“Well, you looked really good...smart, I mean” Taemin automatically corrects himself, his face blushing ferociously.  
  
“Thanks. You trying to say I don’t look good today?” Jongin teases.  
  
“Wha – No no! You look great like this too… I mean… Uhmm..” Taemin descends into utter chaos, his tongue heavy and lips dry.  
  
“Relax hyung…” There it is again ‘hyung’ Taemin feels butterflies in his stomach at the word. “…I’m just messing around.” Jongin explains.  
  
“So, uhm… your friend you were meeting yesterday, I take it they didn’t turn up?” Tamin probes, unsure whether he was overstepping a boundary.  
  
“Hmm, yeah. He was supposed to come but he didn’t show up. I waited around at the bar for a long time before he decided to text me. I was pretty angry last night, sorry for disturbing you.” Jongin clarifies.  
  
“That’s okay, I didn’t mind. That was a really shitty thing to do though. Why didn’t he tell you sooner?” Taemin wonders.  
  
“Well, he was supposed to be flying back from Japan but his flight was delayed and then he was called into a meeting once he landed… I suppose he couldn’t really help it.” Jongin explains.  
  
“Still, a text on the way to the meeting or something wouldn’t have hurt. Did he apologise?” Taemin states.  
  
“Yeah, he came over yesterday to apologise and we hung out at my place. I guess I destroyed my phone over nothing.” Jongin chuckles but he doesn’t seem overly convinced.  
  
“Shame. Oh! I almost forgot, wait here.” Taemin speaks as he stands up, his slipper covered feet slapping against the gravel as he goes back inside the house.  
He returns a moment later with a bag and thrusts it towards Jongin.  
  
“What’s this?” He asks as he eyes the small green paper bag.  
  
“Open it” Taemin replies and Jongin does. He reaches inside and pulls out a smashed phone.  
  
“I found it on the road as I was walking back home, I saved it for you in case you could fix it or something…or at least save your memory card.” Taemin smiles hopefully.  
  
“Thanks hyung, I’ll have a look at it when I get home.” Jongin smiles back, his eyes looking not at, but through Taemin like he is trying to work something out.  
  
“J-jongin? What is it?” Taemin asks, feeing scrutinised and a little vulnerable.  
  
“Your…” a tanned hand moves up, middle finger stretched forward and coming closer to Taemin’s face. The older male sits frozen in place and holds his breath. “…glasses are slipping down again.” Jongin finishes and pushes them back into place, the soft pad of his fingertip smoothing across the ridge of Taemin’s nose and leaving tingles in its wake.  
  
“T-thanks.” Taemin breathes out.  
  
“So hyung. You know I’m a dancer, can I ask, what do you do?” Jongin questions with a light tone.  
  
“Oh me? I…I’m a writer. I write fiction novels and I am currently writing the sequel to my last book.” Taemin mumbles, a little embarrassed at his profession because people more often than not look down on it as not being a ‘real’ job.  
  
“Wow! That’s so cool. Anything I might have read?” Jongin enquires.  
  
“Uhmm… I don’t know. Do you read a lot of fiction?” Taemin muses.  
  
“Well, I shouldn’t really admit this to a writer and all, but I don’t really read much. I love to read, but all of my spare time is spent practising or sleeping.” Jongin admits with a sheepish grin as he awkwardly scratches the back of his head.  
  
“That’s okay. Being a dancer really must be a 24/7 job. I guess when you’re not performing you are always practising and training. I actually write under a pseudonym and not my real name.” Taemin answers, a little in awe at the amount of dedication it must take for Jongin to be successful.  
  
“I understand that, I dance under a pseudonym too. It helps me distinguish between work and life when work takes up so much of my life…am I even making sense?” Jongin asks, his hands whirling around in random gestures and Taemin finds it very adorable.  
  
“Yeah it makes perfect sense.” He laughs.  
  
“So, Taemin hyung, what is your pseudonym name?” Jongin asks as he wiggles his eyebrows.  
  
“Uhmm, it’s L.T Min. Pretty rubbish really; just my name but shortened down.” Taemin says embarrassedly. “What’s yours?” he enquires.  
  
“Kai. He’s confident, and sexy and graceful. Pretty much everything I’m not.” Jongin says with a blush.  
  
“I don’t think you and Kai are all that different.” Taemin muses out loud, but he was supposed to keep it to himself.  
  
“Oh really? In what way?” Jongin asks with a wiggle of his eyebrows at Taemin’s insinuation.  
  
“Well, I just mean. You’re confident since you are quite happy to talk to a complete stranger like me. A…and you’re good looking…attractive or whatever. I guess the girls would find you sexy…I haven’t seen you dance but you’re pretty graceful in not tripping up over your words every second like I am right now…so…yeah.” Taemin finishes lamely but the growing smirk on Jongin’s face has his eyes casting downward and a blush rising on his cheeks.  
  
Taemin feels the air around them shift for a second and he looks up in confusion to find that Jongin is sitting closer to him. His gaze is doing that thing again where it is looking straight through Taemin’s soul and then Jongin’s eyebrows are knitting together on his forehead. Thick fingers brush back the blonde tresses from Taemin’s forehead and Jongin finally speaks.  
  
“Thanks for listening…” He breathes heavily, swallowing loudly before continuing “…and thanks for my phone…hyung.” The atmosphere is still as they both look at each other. Taemin’s heart is thudding in his chest and he waits for Jongin to do ‘something.’ “Goodnight” and with that, Jongin pulls back and stands. He gives Taemin one last look and waves as he walks down the street and back to his own house.  
  
Once Jongin is half way gone, Taemin lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and stands on wobbly legs as he continues to watch strong shoulders and slim hips enter through the black door.  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
This time it is Taemin who finds Jongin. It is a little past midnight and he hears a humming sound coming from just beyond his open window. He saves his work and pushes back his chair as he makes his way to the door. He has seen Jongin everyday like clockwork since the last time they spoke on the driveway and they always give little waves and smiles through Taemin’s office window. He finds his eyes shifting to glance at the midnight street around this time every night without fail. Tonight he doesn’t even need to look to know that Jongin is outside because he can hear the tell-tale shift of hi-tops upon the familiar gravel.  
  
“Hey” Taemin shouts out from his doorway with a wave and a smile.  
  
“Oh, hi hyung. What’s up?” Jongin replies, his smile once again the most handsome thing Taemin has ever witnessed.  
  
“Just thought I would say hi, we haven’t spoken in a while.” Taemin announces, still stood at the door in his shorts and t-shirt. Jongin on the other hand is wearing a white tank top that contrasts perfectly against the golden hue of his skin and three quarter length sweatpants. The midnight blue and white hi-tops still don his feet.  
Jongin walks closer, up the path and to Taemin’s door.  
  
“I don’t think I’ve ever been this far up the drive before.” Jongin laughs.  
  
“No, I don’t think you have. Sorry about that. Uhmm…” Taemin pauses for a minute, something in his mind is wondering if what he is about to say is appropriate, he carries on anyway “…would you like to come in? I mean, do you have time for a coffee or something?” Taemin holds his breath as he awaits an answer, he notices that Jongin’s features sway too, as if weighing up his options and Taemin is sure that he will politely decline.  
  
“Sure, I’ve got time.” Is what he actually hears and it takes his brain a few seconds longer than normal to process it. He opens the door with a wide smile and watches as Jongin takes off his hi-tops and places them on the doorstep.  
  
“You can bring them in if you want?” Taemin motions towards the hi-tops.  
  
“Nah it’s fine. It won’t rain tonight anyway.” Jongin kindly declines and moves forward into Taemin’s hallway.  
  
Taemin is suddenly aware of the state of his house, he notices a few papers laying on the hallway table and how the cushions in the living room are askew.  
  
“Sorry about the mess – I wasn’t really expecting company” Taemin explains.  
  
“It’s fine, it’s not a mess anyway.” Jongin stands awkwardly in the middle of the living room for a minute too many before Taemin registers that he should offer him a drink and somewhere to place his bag which looks quite heavy.  
  
“Uh, please, sit down and make yourself comfortable. You can just put your bag anywhere you like I don’t mind. Coffee?” Taemin asks belatedly.  
  
“Yeah that would be great thanks.” Jongin replies kindly, his eyes scrunching into crescent moons and perfect pearly white teeth settle on a plump bottom lip.  
  
“Sure…hot or iced? Milk? Sugar? How do you like it?” Taemin questions and there is a small almost invisible smirk on Jongin’s lip at the innuendo behind that last question.  
  
“Black, iced, no sugar please.” Is the only response he offers though and Taemin blushes as he nods and quickly leaves for the kitchen.  
  
Jongin mulls around Taemin’s living room a little whilst he waits. He picks up a few photographs of Taemin as a child and smiles fondly, he was a dorky little kid but very handsome. He thumbs across the various books on the bookshelf before he settles on ‘Voyeur – by L.T Min’ which he picks up. He notices the cover is special edition and printed with a number 1 on the inside cover. ‘This must have been the first ever copy made’ Jongin muses to himself at which point, Taemin enters the living room with a tall glass of iced coffee and a large mug of steaming hot coffee.  
  
“Oh, I guess you found my book. It’s nothing special really. Just your run of the mill fiction.” Taemin concludes as he places the drinks down on the small coffee table.  
  
“I think you’re selling yourself short a bit there.” Jongin replies and places the book back on the shelf.  
  
“How would you know?” Taemin questions.  
  
“Well…because I’m half way through already and it’s really interesting.” Jongin explains as he pulls the book from his gym bag.  
  
“You’re reading it? I thought you didn’t have time to read?” Taemin stutters.  
  
“I don’t, not much time anyway, that’s why I am still only half way through.” Jongin smiles. “Some things are worth making time for.” He adds as he places the book on the coffee table and moves towards the older male.  
  
“T-thanks.” Taemin breathes out.  
  
The room is electrified and it is clear that there is a mutual attraction in the air. Taemin is feeling bold for once in his life. He knows where this is going and he can’t let Jongin escape again like last time.  
  
“You don’t have your glasses on today.” Jongin notices as they now stand almost face to face.  
  
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Taemin asks, his confidence wavering with the new proximity.  
  
“Well, I think you look cute and sophisticated with them on.” Jongin explains with a smile.  
  
“A-and without?” Taemin asks.  
  
“Sexy and handsome, you’re a guy of two halves Lee Taemin.” Jongin notes.  
  
“Th-they’re also a bit of a pain though.” Taemin explains.  
  
“How so?” Jongin asks, their breathing increasing and the distance between them unconsciously decreasing.  
  
“They get I-in the way sometimes, I-if I want to…to do this.” Taemin pushes through his nerves and finally closes the gap between them.  
  
Their lips press lightly, the velvety smoothness of Jongin’s lips against his own slightly chapped ones is the perfect contrast. Taemin revels in the sweet warmth that radiates from the younger male. He is taken off guard however when he feels strong hands on his hips as they pull him flush against the firm planes of the pink haired boy’s body. A light nibble to his bottom lip has his mouth opening in invitation as a slick wet tongue pushes inside to claim him.  
  
Their kissing increases, the space between their bodies non-existent and Taemin has his hands feeling up and down the muscular arms, winding around a strong warm neck and down across firm shoulder blades. Jongin detaches his mouth for air and takes the opportunity to mouth at Taemin’s pale, alabaster neck. He sucks with fevor, dotting the once snowy skin with pink hues.  
  
“A-ah Jongin” Taemin breathes out into the hot air of the living room as he rolls his hips into the younger man. Their crotches align and send a jolt of fire between them that threatens to sear off their clothes before the night is through. He moves a bold hand down to Jongin’s semi-hard member and palms him through the sweatpants.  
  
“S-shit Taemin….ah………s…..stop….stop.” Jongin pants out, his fingers gripping Taemin’s shirt in his fist tighter and tighter. His mouth reluctantly gasping out the four letter word he wishes he didn’t have to say.  
  
“W-what?” Taemin stills and pulls his hand back. Their faces are flushed, hair messy and chests heaving.  
  
“I…I can’t…I’m sorry I can’t…” Jongin gasps.  
  
“Why not?” Taemin asks with confusion, his brows knitting and eyes filling with moisture at the taste of rejection.  
  
“I…uhmm…listen...” Jongin takes Taemin’s hand and sits them down on the couch.  
  
“You remember the friend who I was supposed to meet the night we met?” Jongin explains.  
  
Taemin nods his head and dreads the words that he knows are coming next.  
  
“He…he’s my boyfriend. He travels a lot and that time he didn’t meet me isn’t a one-time thing, he often forgets to meet or has to cancel. Despite all of that though… we have been together for 4 years now. I, I can’t cheat on him and I shouldn’t have led you on. I shouldn’t have come in here either. I’m so sorry hyung.” Jongin explains calmly, his voice filled with regret and his eyes still roaming Taemin’s delicate features.  
  
“I…do you even? I mean…if you didn’t have a… no never mind, I don’t want to know.” Taemin sighs.  
  
“Yes. I wish I had met you first. I wish there was nothing standing between us but when it comes down to it, I might get lonely and feel second choice over his work but I still love him. I wish my heart didn’t love him, or that it never fell for you. Now I have hurt you and I am so sorry, I thought it would be okay and we could both just be friends…I guess the chemistry between us was too strong.” Jongin answers.  
  
“Jongin?” Taemin speaks up, voice louder and firmer than it has ever been.  
  
“Yeah?” Jongin asks with wide eyes full of apologies.  
  
“Leave…just leave.” Taemin demands, tears threatening to fall but his voice, for the first time is unwavering in the presence of such a handsome being.  
  
“I’m so sorry hyung…is there anything –” Jongin begins to apologise again.  
  
“GO!” Taemin shouts and Jongin doesn’t need to be told twice. He stands swiftly, takes his bag, gathers his hi-tops from the doorstep and hurries down the street to his house.  
  
Taemin hears the black, high glossed door bang and jingle but for the first time in a long time, he doesn’t watch those bright white and midnight blue hi-tops float across the black lagoon of the twilight road. For the first time he doesn’t wish to follow the figure through the threshold of the door and inside.  
  
For the first time, a piece of Taemin’s heart is broken.  
  
He moves back to his office, draws the blind down over the window for the first time since he moved in and clicks the ‘home’ button on the keyboard.  
He looks at the current empty space where the title should be and he types…  
  


** Unfair – by L.T Min **

  
In the living room the warmth from the steaming mug creates a ring of condensation around the bottom of the untouched iced coffee and beside it sits Lee Taemin’s most recent novel: Voyeur. The bookmark still in place and unaware that its owner may never pick it back up to read again.  
  
A broken sob moves through the silence of the house along with the tick, tock of the office clock.  
  
Life really is unfair.  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-


	2. Voyeur [Sequel]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘Jongin’s eyes follow every movement of Taemin’s swift fingers and he knows it is wrong. He knows his boyfriend waits beyond the architrave of his big black door and yet, every night on his way home from practise, he watches the older man.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The long awaited sequel to UNFAIR (that I forgot about but a lovely anon on Tumblr reminded me so thank them for this)  
> Xx L xX

 

 

 

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

Click clack; the keyboard resonates through the room once again. Taemin sits, his posture hunched and his fingers as dry as his throat. He hasn’t stopped for days. The words keep on flowing, his character continuing her journey, her search for something. His consonants and vowels blend with an effortless rhythm as they dance amongst the black and white of the LED screen. His shoulder bumps the window on occasion but it doesn’t deter him from his never ending clickety-clack. An effortless string of syntax pours from his fingertips – where his nails are too long as they increase the volume of the incessant tapping – until it fills the room so furiously that an outsider would fear the sound might break the glass.

An outsider, that’s what he is; as he watches Taemin under the cover of night and with the help of the tree at the bottom of the driveway. Jongin’s eyes follow every movement of Taemin’s swift fingers and he knows it is wrong. He knows his boyfriend waits beyond the architrave of his big black door and yet, every night on his way home from practise, he watches the older man. Day by day he begins to notice how Taemin doesn’t eat, doesn’t drink, doesn’t sleep. He worries. As he listens to each click and every clack that filters out through the still ajar window (it’s been that way for three days now) he imagines the scene morphing in his mind: Taemin is still there, hunched, hungry and dishevelled but Jongin imagines the room with a little more warmth; maybe a slow candle burning in the corner or the soft glow of a lamp – something other than the cold, white glare of the screen which currently shines Taemin’s face in pallor – he sees himself enter from the living room door, placing a book (probably one of Taemin’s latest novels) on the coffee table and holding a warm cup of whatever Taemin likes. He places the mug down beside the man, receiving a gentle smile as his fingers continue their relentless pace and then he leaves the living room only to appear again with a thick blanket and a sandwich. He gently drapes the thick blanket over Taemin’s shoulders and places the sandwich beside the steaming mug. His own long legs walk towards the window, reaching for the top opener to pull it closed and as he does so, his gaze pierces through the darkness and across to the tree outside – his face hardens, his eyes narrowing as he spots himself standing there watching, creeping, doing things he shouldn’t be doing.

That intense moment is enough to break Jongin from his thoughts and when he returns, the harsh, bleached glow of the LED screen only accentuates Taemin’s dark circles and chapped lips. He turns away. He can’t do this to himself, he can’t do this to his loving boyfriend.

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

Jongin still hears the echoes of Taemin’s “Go!” each time he passes that driveway. It doesn’t help that he still watches in the evening whenever he gets the chance. Taemin seems to have recovered back to his normal self now. The window is closed and for once, the older male isn’t typing away, he is watching TV. Jongin didn’t even know that the elder had a TV – he never noticed it since Taemin never watched it in all of his months of observation. Another thing he notices, just a little too late – is the unfamiliar car parked in the driveway. Just as the image clicks, he notices a shorter man with dark hair entering the living room with a bowl of snacks and he gives Taemin a gentle peck on the lips as he takes a seat beside him. Jongin feels it at full force: the jealousy and the hurt. His heart literally aches in his chest and it isn’t because that’s what _he_ wants. No. Hell, if he just moves his feet away from Taemin’s window and walks down the street to his own house he will find himself greeted by bright smiles, the smell of wonderful food and a warm embrace. No, his heart aches because he is jealous. Where did this man come from and why does he feel like he has the right to kiss Taemin? His hands ball into fists but his feet stay rooted to the ground. He should leave. Keep walking. Go home. Anything but stand here however, his body and mind are not in sync and it takes Taemin standing from the sofa, wrapping his long arms around the mystery man’s waist and their lips meeting in a heated kiss – exploring and pressing closer – for Jongin’s legs to finally spring into action and send him sprinting down the road with tears in his eyes.

It’s absurd. Taemin isn’t his. Never was his. But it hurts like he is, like he once was.

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

“I’m not stupid Jongin. Do you think I don’t notice?” Kyungsoo speaks softly as he sits beside the younger on their bed. Jongin had come home one evening with tear stained cheeks, ran straight to bed and ever since, he hasn’t been the same.

“What?” The younger speaks up with a puzzled expression but a sense of dread in the depths of his eyes.

“That man. At number 72. You think I don’t know? You stand and watch him religiously nearly every evening. I watched you, watching him and I didn’t say anything. I thought ‘this time he will say something, mention it, explain it’ but it never happened.” Kyungsoo’s voice is clipped but calm. He sees the hurt, the sorry and the pain that swirls across his boyfriend’s face when he mentions the man. He doesn’t reach out to him – he wants to because for whatever reason, Jongin is suffering – but he can’t reach out to him if it means what he thinks it means. It’s too painful. He’s just not that good of a person. “Tell me Jongin. Tell me everything, I deserve to know.” The older man whispers out, he deserves to know but a part of him thinks that he doesn’t want to know, that he can live in ignorance and fake bliss for a little longer. He shakes that thought away because this needs to happen – now.

“I’m so sorry Soo.” Jongin begins, turning his body towards his boyfriend and steeling himself for the journey ahead.

As Jongin slowly explains what happened, what almost happened and how he feels; he watches the sunshine that was once contained within Kyungsoo’s eyes finally diminish into a barely flickering spark.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Jongin informs with as much sincerity as he can muster.

“But you did anyway. I thought, if I quit my job so we could spend more time together, that we could fix our problems. All this time, you knew but you didn’t say anything. If you really didn’t want to hurt me, you would have told me back then. You were just being selfish Jongin. I tried to change for you. I tried to mend our relationship but all this time you… you had feelings for someone else and yet you allowed me to keep on trying, to keep on hoping and dreaming for a future that we could never have.” Kyungsoo wasn’t angry. He was hurt, sad, upset and confused. Jongin could read him like a book after all their years together. High School crushes turned best friends, turned college lovers, turned eventual boyfriends. All those years, the four years of their official relationship and all the years of build up, for them to end like this. Life seems too unfair – for the both of them to end this way.

“I – I need to leave. I’ll send someone for my stuff later.” Kyungsoo speaks, his voice shaking and hands trembling with the emotions that are threatening to overcome him.

“No Soo. Don’t leave. You don’t have anywhere to go. I…I’ll go stay with my Sister until you find somewhere.” Jongin is frantic, he knows Kyungsoo has no job and no family and that the first part is his fault.

“No Jongin! Don’t you understand?” Kyungsoo shouts, his lips trembling and eyes threatening to overspill. He takes a deep breath, blinking back the tears in his eyes and lowers his voice again “Don’t you see? I can’t stay here around everything that reminds me of you and of _us_. I can’t stay in this house knowing that _he_ is just down the street.” There is a pregnant pause as Jongin’s eyes slip out silent tears, his eyes roaming the many photographs that have illustrated their journey and relationship through all of these years. “Goodbye Jongin. Pack my stuff up for me. My suitcase is in the attic along with my boxes. I’ll send a friend to get them.” Kyungsoo is crying now, his nose making him sniffle and his eyes blurring to the point that he can barely see as his trembling hands remove their couple band, the gold shimmering prettily beneath the bedroom lights; a beautiful paradox to their current state of affairs. He places the ring into Jongin’s palm, the younger’s chest heaving and stuttering as he tries to keep it together and catch his breath. Kyungsoo walks out, closing the bedroom door behind him. Jongin’s hand closes around the golden band and it isn’t until he hears the front door two or three minutes later, that he allows himself to crumble. He wails like a child into the bedsheets and he doesn’t move from his spot until he has cried so hard that he feels the need to vomit rising in his throat.

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

He doesn’t watch Taemin anymore. He still goes to dance practise, he still goes about his usual routines all with the exception of watching Taemin. His heart constricts painfully every time he passes the familiar driveway but he doesn’t look up. He doesn’t want to see if that man’s car is in the driveway, he doesn’t want to see if Taemin is typing or eating or sleeping or with _him._ No. It’s less painful this way. He hates how he walks through his door to silence and loneliness. There is nobody cooking delicious food, none of Kyungsoo’s favourite jazz music playing or a heavenly voice singing to a beautiful ballad as he cooks. His house is void of pictures, he had taken them down about a month ago when the memories became too painful. There is an empty space in the wardrobe where Kyungsoo’s clothes used to be. The shoe rack is still full but there are a pair of high-tops, a pair of smart shoes and a pair of slippers missing from amongst his extensive shoe collection. Kyungsoo always used to berate him for buying even more shoes but then there would be a heavy downpour and the elder would have nothing to wear that was waterproof, and Jongin would revel in his ‘I told you so, I have four pairs of acceptable shoes for this weather’ and then proceed to let the older man borrow a pair even if they were a size too big.

Sometimes at night he lays awake, staring at the ceiling and thinking about the kiss and passion he shared with Taemin. It still makes him giddy and brings him a small smile before he remembers laying in this very bed, remembering the same scene with Kyungsoo puffing small breaths against his neck and being wracked with guilt. It’s a never ending cycle of happy memories laced with loss and guilt which leaves him feeling like the worst person on earth and wondering, for fleeting moments, whether this world would be better off without him. Then he pictures his family in floods of tears and he imagines the guilt that would wrack Kyungsoo (and possibly Taemin, he isn’t sure) even though he did nothing wrong. The elder would still blame himself. That image is far more painful to him than the current situation and so he decides to just wake up day after day, follow his routine and hope that life just straightens itself back out somehow, that the world will keep on turning and maybe he will start to enjoy life again soon.

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

It’s a warm day in June when Jongin is walking down the high street, he needs to buy a gift for his sister’s birthday which is tomorrow (he hasn’t been busy, but he just hates shopping so much that he put it off until now) and as he muses in and out of stores he resigns himself to having to give her money inside her card. Kyungsoo was always the one who would buy the gifts for him, his sister got along with his boyfriend like they were also siblings. He feels a little sorry now, that she no longer gets to keep in contact with Kyungsoo even though they were the closest of friends. As he turns the corner looking for an ATM, he notices a new bookshop and café that has opened, his sister loves reading and maybe he can get her a gift card to spend here.

His hands curl firmly around the brushed gold bar which runs along the full width of the oak door and he pushes the heavy wood open with force. The first thing that assaults his senses is the smell of coffee, books and cake. It’s a smell that reminds him of something else, of someone else. The lighting is slightly dim in a cosy kind of way, but light enough for the people scattered about the store who are reading on the comfortable chairs. He can hear the beep of the registers and the clink of plates from above which houses a balcony style café. There is something about this place which feels homely and at ease as his midnight blue and white hi-tops graze lightly across the mahogany floorboards. At points they creak in authentication as he makes his way to the register where the gift cards are usually displayed in these types of shops. An abrupt stop takes place though, just a metre away from the gift card stand. Jongin’s eyes scan upwards to the stack of books (all the same) with a frown on his face. Something about the ‘new releases pick’ sign has caught his eye and without him processing, his feet move of their own accord towards the table. Almost instantly his eyes land on the words ‘L.T Min’ and out of sheer curiosity, Jongin picks up the book with unsteady hands. The title is there, in large bold font (a stark contrast to the swirling, smooth letters of Voyeur) ‘UNFAIR’. Before he even registers what he is doing, he picks up the book and heads to the cashier – grabbing a gift card on the way – and places them on the desk.

“20 on here please, and this” He stutters out, pushing the book towards the woman behind the counter.

“Oh! What an excellent choice. I’m reading this at the minute…” She begins as she swipes the card and beeps the barcode on the back of the book. “…the author is actually doing a book signing here next week if you’re interested?” Unbeknownst to the cashier, this is an extremely loaded question.

“Uhmmm…” Jongin frowns, unable to even comprehend what that means, let alone whether he should attend or not.

“No pressure, I’ll give you this flyer which is your entry to the signing. The first 200 books sold in here get one, you don’t have to use it if you don’t want to or can’t attend. I’ll put it in the book for you to keep it safe. Do you need a bag?” The woman rambles out faster than Jongin can even keep up. He nods a ‘yes’ and she smiles as he pays. “Thanks for coming, have a lovely day.” She speaks as he offers another polite smile and high-tails it out of the shop and back to his house as fast as possible.

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

Now, to say Jongin was being a drama queen, would be an understatement. He is currently sitting on the bed, staring at the book as if it might eat him alive. His current thoughts consist of: ‘Should I read it?’ ‘Well, I’ve paid for it now’ ‘Should I go to the book signing?’ ‘I can’t go to the signing if I haven’t read the book’ ‘but do I even want to read the book?’ ‘I’ve already paid for it…’ and so his thoughts go round and round in his head. Eventually he thinks a grandiose ‘fuck it’ and opens to the very first page.

He doesn’t go to practise the next day, feigning illness and getting an earful from his best friend Yixing, for managing to get sick and not taking care of himself. Instead he hasn’t slept, he has stayed up all night reading the book and he is almost at the end.

 _‘“You don’t have your glasses on today.” Kai notices as they now stand almost face to face._  
  
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” She asks, her confidence wavering with the new proximity.  
  
“Well, I think you look cute and sophisticated with them on.” Kai explains with a soft smile.  
  
“A-and without?” She asks.  
  
“Sexy and handsome, you’re a girl of two halves.” Kai notes.  
  
“Th-they’re also a bit of a pain though.” She explains breathlessly.  
  
“How so?” Kai asks, their breathing increasing and the distance between them unconsciously decreasing.  
  
“They get I-in the way sometimes, I-if I want to…to do this.” She pushes through her nerves and finally closes the gap between them.’

‘Shit!’ Jongin thinks as he reads the familiar scene in black and white, only this time, he can see everything from Taemin’s perspective. “Shit shit shit!” He curses aloud into the quiet of his bedroom this time, pounding his fists on the mattress because now he realises what he has lost, not in Kyungsoo but this time, in Taemin. He admits to himself that he does still have feelings for the author and now he isn’t sure what to do with the information, especially regarding the fact that Taemin has clearly moved on.

He reads on through the night, questions buzzing in his brain until he reaches those final lines.

_‘My eyes wander the street, looking, searching, wishing and hoping. What am I even looking for? Have I even lost anything?’_

Jongin’s head screams ‘Yes you have! And so have I!’

 _‘I ask myself why I’m being like this_  
But instead of a clear reason  
The trembling feelings tell me  
Nothing else is important  
I’m already calling you again’

_-End-_

It’s frustrating really, all this build up only for it to end this way. Taemin’s title was right, it really is unfair.

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

It is Sunday morning and Jongin has spent the entire week to-ing and fro-ing about whether or not to go to the signing this morning, but the fact that he set his alarm for the ungodly hour of 7am tells him that subconsciously, he wants to go.

He spends an entire hour getting ready, trying to look his best for some unknown reason. He skips breakfast, too nervous for the task ahead. He packs his bag with his wallet, keys, book and flyer before donning his signature hi-tops and heading for the door. His stomach twists and turns, butterflies in his abdomen would be an under-sell because it feels like he has flesh eating piranhas swimming around in there instead. Every time the bus jolts, his stomach jumps into his throat and he has to gulp it down again. Alighting at his stop has his heart doubling in speed, his feet dragging in slight reluctance but he pushes forwards anyway until he turns the familiar corner, next to the ATM he sees a large queue of people outside the bookshop doors. He notes each of them are holding either a copy of ‘Unfair’ or ‘Voyeur’ and he reluctantly takes his place in the line, almost stretching back to the ATM and Jongin has to wonder why he is queuing here when Taemin lives only a few doors up from him. Then he remembers he is a coward and a selfish person that Taemin probably doesn’t even want to see; his feet shuffle back a little and he thinks about bolting until he realises someone is behind him and as he stretches his neck, he notices the line has doubled in length since he joined. He will be damned if he chickens out and then changes his mind only to be even further back in the queue.

It is the longest and most nerve wracking 20 minutes of Jongin’s life, but alas, promptly at 9am, the shop doors open to welcome the queue of people. With each person that shifts forward, his feet gain in weight. His head spins with scenarios of what might happen. His hands are clammy, fingers fidgeting and face drip white from the fear he is about to face. As he inches closer and can see Taemin’s face come into view he almost drops the book in his trembling hand and bolts for the door. He replays the image of himself running for the door, Taemin looking up in astonishment and then pictures himself falling flat on his face from tripping over something. The alternative is almost worse than the impending reality and so he pushes on.

When he is the third person in line, he catches Taemin’s attention and he watches as the author freezes for a moment before turning his head and plastering a fake smile on his face as he signs the girl’s book with practised ease. Eventually he finds himself at the table and places the book down, not meeting the writer’s eyes. Only when he hears a low and unfamiliar voice does he look up and who he sees has his blood turning cold and the green eyed monster rearing its ugly head. That man, the one Taemin was kissing is whispering into the author’s ear but Jongin can hear every word.

“That’s him…” the man’s eyes glance up suspiciously “…the one I saw lingering outside your house a few times. Do you know him or should I call security?” The shorter male finishes.

Jongin’s eyes widen almost comically and his heart races in panic. He isn’t sure if it is from the threat of security, the hardening look in the man’s eyes or from the fact that Taemin now knows Jongin had been watching him.

“I know him, it’s fine.” Taemin offers eventually, waving the man away with a dismissive hand. The man moves back, his feline eyes never leaving Jongin though.

“Thanks” He croaks out as he finally finds the guts to look Taemin in the face.

“So, shall I write this out to you or…” The author trails off, waiting for Jongin to say something.

“Yeah, to me. Please.” Jongin wrings his hands and watches the glide of the pen, time is running out, he should say something, anything. But he finds words failing him as Taemin places the book back in his hand.

“Th-thanks” He mumbles with a small bow.

“Jongin?” Taemin calls just as the younger is about to shuffle away in defeat.

“Yeah?” He’s afraid now because whatever the older man wants to say, it can’t be positive.

“Why did you wait in this line? You could have just knocked on the door.” Taemin mumbles, trying to put confidence into his voice and failing.

“I – I thought, maybe that wasn’t a good idea. You know, considering your last words to me.” Jongin almost whispers back, eyes staring into the blue cloth covering the table.

“Well uhm… if you want to talk, knock any time.” Taemin speaks with a serious look but his facial expression gives nothing else away.

“O-okay” Jongin replies with a confused face before he is ushered away for taking too long by the book store staff.

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

It’s late and he is walking the usual route from the bus stop to his house after dance practise. His feet stop at the end of a familiar drive, the scraping of his hi-tops loud in the dead of night. They scrape on the driveway again as they pivot ninety degrees until they face the house ahead. Tentative footsteps land upon the paving stones that lead a walkway to the front door and Jongin raises a fist, poised, ready. A deep breath. Three raps on the door sink in his mind like lead descending into the depths of the ocean. It’s too late to take them back, not now when he hears familiar footfalls padding towards him. The lock clinks as the chain is slid aside and with a creaking of the door Jongin finally comes face to face with Taemin again.

“Hi” He shuffles sheepishly on the spot.

“Hi Jongin, why are you here?” Taemin raises his eyebrow in wonderment.

“You said. If I wanted to talk, to come by anytime and I know it’s late but I was wondering if you had time to chat. I feel like I owe you an explanation on top of an apology.” Jongin bites his lip anxiously.

“Sure, come in.” Taemin is clipped in his response but his tone is flat and plain, no hint of anger or pain. Stepping aside he leaves the door open for the dancer to enter and as Jongin hurriedly toes off his shoes and carries them inside (it’s supposed to rain later) his heart bounces to a hurried rhythm.

“Would you like a drink?” Taemin walks to the kitchen, Jongin following awkwardly behind.

“Yeah sure” Is the meek response, socked feet waddling on the laminate flooring.

“What would you like?” this time Taemin offers a smile and notices how the shuffling of Jongin’s feet ceases with the reassurance.

“I’ll have… whatever you’re having” Jongin offers a small smile back and Taemin nods inserting too capsules into the coffee machine and placing the mugs beneath.

“Caramel latte?” Is the first thing out of Jongin’s mouth when the writer hands him the mug.

“Yeah? Is that okay? You can have something else if you like.” Taemin chuckles at Jongin’s expression which is slowly turning sour.

“Uhmm…” the dancer bites his lip “…just, have you got anything that doesn’t involve syrup or sugar or milk?” Jongin holds the mug away from his nose at arms-length and Taemin can’t help but to crack up at the younger’s crinkled up nose.

“Sure” he breathes out, trying to stifle his laughter as he brings over the black filter coffee, gesturing for Jongin to sit at the table.

An awkward silence settles between them for a few seconds before Jongin finally speaks up.

“So, I wanted to apologise for what happened last time. I know it’s late and that what I did was wrong and I’m really sorry.” Jongin is sincere in his approach, his eye contact never wavering.

“It’s okay Jongin. Forget about it, really. I was hurt at first but with time, I managed to forgive you.” Truthful eyes stare back at the young dancer.

“I don’t…” he begins but as the image of Taemin kissing that other man enters his mind, he takes a sip from his coffee before continuing “… I mean thanks. Aren’t you mad though, about what that guy told you – about me watching you?” This time he is sheepish as he fiddles with the handle of his mug in concentration.

“Jongin, don’t you remember the first time we met? How I knew where you lived and what time you got home from practise? I can’t exactly be a hypocrite now can I?” Taemin laughs lightly as he remembers intently watching what he called the ‘bronzed Adonis’ from afar every evening, he should have known that someone like that was already taken. Then again, Jongin shouldn’t have led him on either.

“I suppose not” Jongin smiles lightly but his expression dampens when he thinks of how he let Taemin go just because he wasn’t honest with him.

“So uhm… did you tell your boyfriend about what happened?” He couldn’t help it, Taemin just had to know if Jongin has been truthful.

“Not at first but, he isn’t stupid. He could see that something was going on with me. I wasn’t the same, y’know.” Jongin croaks out, a lump forming in his throat as he remembers Kyungsoo’s crying face.

“I’m sorry” Taemin wants to reach out but keeps his hands to himself for fear of a repeated mistake.

“Don’t be. I mean, we weren’t happy for a while and I was being selfish by not telling him what happened, by not letting him go.” Jongin’s eyes fill with tears and no matter how he tries to blink them back, they fall fast and heavy. “When he walked out it was like he took half of me with him but I’m not crying because we broke up, I’m crying because I hurt him. After all those years, I hurt him because I was being selfish. I could have saved him so much pain and I could have saved you the pain too. I’m so sorry Taemin.” Jongin sniffles loudly as the older male brings the tissues from the living room.

He places the box down on the table and takes a seat beside the younger rather than across from him. He rubs soothing circles across the dancer’s back as he slowly watches the boy calm back down. Jongin’s bare shoulders begin to stop shaking, his white tank top sitting askew on his bronzed scapulars from where Taemin had been creating circles with the fabric.

“Thanks. How can you be so nice to me after what I did?” The younger turns his head to meet Taemin’s face, brows pulled tightly together in confusion.

“Everybody makes mistakes Jongin, you can’t beat yourself up about it forever” Taemin’s voice is light and breathy as he leans forward until their noses are almost touching.

“But I…” The dancer begins but is cut off as the elder’s plush lips capture his own in the sweetest of kisses, he feels a tongue breach the seam of his lips and he allows it to enter, his head is spinning because he never thought he would get to feel this again. “…wait!” Jongin snaps back, pushing the other away. “We can’t do this Taemin. You have a boyfriend.”

“What?” Taemin’s features morph in clear confusion.

“I can’t let you make the same mistake I did. Please Taemin, don’t do this to him.” Jongin is frantic as he tries to scramble away and to his feet.

“Jongin, stop.” The younger still tries to break free until Taemin raises his voice “STOP!”

Everything stills for a moment, only the ticking of the clock and shallow breathing reassures them both that time is still moving forward.

“I don’t have a boyfriend. Where did you come up with that idea?” A bemused face fills Jongin’s vision.

“T-the guy. The scary one from the book signing who drives the white Toyota. The one I saw you watching TV with and kissing and – ” The confusion is clear in his tone.

“Kibum? You thought Kibum was my boyfriend? No Jongin no. He, I mean, we dated a little after what happened between us but we were better off as friends. He is my editor and I was lonely and insecure when you left, I fell into my work. It got pretty bad but once I finished my novel I realised that maybe I need to put more effort into making relationships and well, we tried it. We weren’t compatible. End of story.”

“So you don’t have a boyfriend?” Jongin stares in disbelief.

“No. We had one date, that’s all.” He chuckles as the younger lets out a small smile. “So, can we continue now? Unless you have another boyfriend I don’t know about?” He jokes but he is also half serious.

“Not this time, I promise.” The dancer laughs.

“Good, because I can’t keep my hands to myself any longer.” The elder breathes out as he brings their lips colliding together.

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

Firm hands grip at the elder’s waist, throwing him on the bed and hastily ridding Taemin of his pyjama pants and working swiftly to remove the white t-shirt from his torso. The writer is ready to go, cock hard and leaking as it curves lightly towards his stomach. Jongin’s hips however don’t stop their teasing as they roll with precision against his own, creating a delicious friction of denim on skin. The dancer has been at it since the kitchen, pinning him up against the wall and undulating his hips in all the right places, fingers brushing lightly over Taemin’s perky nipples as he puts his dance moves to work.

“J-jongin. I swear, you’d better either strip or touch me otherwise I’m…” He doesn’t get to finish his sentence before he feels a strong grip stroking along his length.

“I see patience isn’t your forte” The younger lets out a low chuckle that sends arousal straight to Taemin’s nether regions.

“Ah – okay okay, maybe it’s not but it’s been so long since – ah – I was with anyone so…please…just take off your pants and get inside me.” Taemin whimpers out as the pace of Jongin’s hand increases, adding a twist to his wrist that is sending the elder precariously close to the edge. Thankfully the dancer stops his ministrations long enough to step off the bed and remove his jeans and boxers, leaving him only covered by his tank top.

“Where are your lube and condoms?” The younger asks breathlessly because the sight of Taemin splayed wide and panting on the bed is making him lose focus rather quickly.

“I don’t have any, you’ll have to go and get some from your house” Taemin speaks with a dead pan expression.

“What! Are you crazy? It’s freezing out there and I can’t walk down the street with _this_!” Jongin gestures to his erection with a mortified expression.

“I’m joking” Taemin cracks up with a triumphant wink, grinning from ear to ear as he opens the bed side drawer to reveal the supplies.

“I’m going to rub that grin right off your face Lee Taemin” Jongin growls as he strips off his tank top and crawls over the older male, grasping with more fervour than necessary: the two items.

“I’d like to see you try” Taemin smirks and the seductive sight lasts approximately 0.4 seconds before he feels Jongin’s hot, wet mouth engulf his member as a lubricated finger enters his hole. The smirk morphs into a slack-jawed look of pleasure as a moan rumbles from deep in his throat.

The dancer keeps working his lips and fingers until the writer is writhing and pushing down onto three thick digits. With a squelch Jongin removes his fingers, wasting no time in rolling down the condom and slathering it in lubricant.

“Ready?” Jongin grunts, already moving forward to slide between Taemin’s thighs.

“Wait!” Taemin gasps and the younger stops, reluctantly, but he does stop. “This way” Taemin groans as he looks over his shoulder from where he now stands on all fours.

He doesn’t waste another second before he sheaths himself slowly into Taemin’s willing cavity, the squeeze is tight and takes his breath away before he gently begins to rock, placing a hand just above the cleft of Taemin’s pert globes to sooth his lower back and give him leverage to pound faster and harder when he thinks the author is ready.

It doesn’t take long before Jongin finds his hips snapping at a furious pace, leaning into each thrust to get as deep as possible. Taemin has shifted with his ass high in the air and his arms flat against the bed, causing Jongin to kneel behind him and allowing him to drive deeper than before.

“Are you close?” Jongin asks and for a split moment, he finds it strange to not know Taemin’s body inside and out like he did Kyungsoo’s but he also thinks he can’t wait to discover it piece by piece.

“S-so close Jongin, just a few more – ” the elder pants into the pillow, the ending muffled by the white cotton and the dancer brings a hand to Taemin’s neglected cock, pumping him at an equal speed before he feels the writer’s hole clench tightly around his throbbing member and he feels the spray of Taemin’s come against his hand and forearm. Just a few more pushes and Jongin is tumbling over the edge too, riding out his orgasm until Taemin is whining from the over-stimulation.

“My boyfriend is going to kill me!” Jongin panics aloud and Taemin rolls over with a terrified expression.

“What!”

“Sorry, it was a joke. Too soon?” Jongin is sheepish as he avoids eye contact.

“Yes, too soon” Taemin mumbles “for that remark, you can strip the sheets. That is, of course, if you want to stay the night?” The question is spoken softly and with a hint of vulnerability.

“As much as I don’t want to change the sheets, I’d love to spend the night” Jongin smiles, genuinely smiles, for the first time in months as the older male leaves him with a soft and lingering kiss.

“Now, get up. I need to shower and you need to change the sheets.” Taemin protests as he pushes at the immovable lump that is Jongin.

“How about, we both shower and then I change the sheets?” Jongin cracks open one eye, seeing that Taemin is ultimately failing at making him move.

“Fine, but we’re _just_ showering. Don’t get any ideas.” The elder grumbles and Jongin sprints towards the adjoining shower room with a playful twitch to his lips.

If Taemin is being completely honest, he can’t wait to see what Jongin’s prominent abs look like all wet and soapy. Never-the-less, he makes a show of dragging his feet in protest towards the shower where he laughs despite himself as Jongin pulls him into the room by looping a towel around his waist.

The door slams with the happy laughter of the two men inside.

Sometimes, life is just unfair but sometimes, it is unfair for a reason.

**-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No word of a lie, this took an entire day to write because I wanted it to come out perfectly. I don’t know if it did and I know it’s been FOREVER since I posted the first part but I’m hoping you readers are still out there.  
> I hope you enjoyed this, it is officially the end!
> 
> Please comment, subscribe, kudos if you enjoyed this. It was laborious to write but it was a labour of love.
> 
> Xx L xX

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Well….this took weeks and weeks done in little parts but then from the 2,000 word mark, it all got typed in one day. This ended not how I originally planned but near enough. It was never going to be a happy ending. Also, the title is taken from EXO’s new album and those glasses Taemin is wearing are Jongin’s beautiful, cute glasses from the live performance of ‘unfair.’ So this entire fic was inspired by a pair of Jongin’s glasses. Also, he has pink hair in this because I am still in love with his pink hair and can’t get over it!
> 
>  
> 
> Comments, Kudos, Up Votes and Subscribers are all mega appreciated!
> 
> Until next time,
> 
> Xx L xX


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